


Tradition

by ServantOfMischief



Category: Tokyo Ghoul
Genre: Ichika is a cutie, Ichika is literally Uta's new muse, The Kaneki's dedicating a whole wall in their living room to pictures of Ichika's first days, Uta adores her, Uta and Ichika's friendship, Uta enjoys the new trade, Uta finding a new trade, Uta making her something for every year she starts a new grade
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-10
Updated: 2019-02-10
Packaged: 2019-10-25 21:44:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,802
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17733230
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ServantOfMischief/pseuds/ServantOfMischief
Summary: Uta accepts Touka's request of making a dress for Ichika's first day of school and it kind of escalaes from there.





	Tradition

It’s something Uta notices when he visits the Kaneki household. Ichika is about to start school, and she is quite adorable in her pretty little dress he’s sewing for her by Touka’s request.

 

“Stand still, Ichika-chan.” He tells her quietly, the needles sticking out of his mouth carefully held in place by his teeth. She giggles at the sight of them bobbing as he speaks. She wants to reach out and poke them, but when she tries, Uta leans back and raises a brow at her. She giggles again, caught in the act and stands still, as he requests.

 

“You seem to be in a mischievous mood today, Ichika-chan.” Uta mutters as he tugs at the hem of her dress.

 

“What’s got you so excited?”

 

“I’m starting school soon!” The girl exclaims and he chuckles at her excitement as he pulls another needle out from his mouth and fastens it to the dress.

 

“And I’m wearing a dress you made me, Uta-chan!” The corners of his mouth tug upwards as he looks up at her.

 

“That makes you excited?” He asks and she nods.

 

“Because you make so many different things! Cool stuff, creepy stuff, strong stuff, and now you’re making me something pretty, and I want to show everyone!” Uta thinks it is very sweet of her to say that and tilts his head.

 

“If that is so, how about I make you something for every year when you start a new grade?” He asks and the way her eyes grow big, how she smiles toothily is too cute.

 

“Yes!” She exclaims, and dives forward to hug him. He allows it, rubbing her back as she jumps before pushing her back a bit.

 

“But if you want that, you have to stand still and let me finish.” He tells her and she nods, and this time she listens, and stands still until he’s done poking needles into the fabric and lets her carefully undress.

 

“Will it be done in time?” Touka asks as she pokes her head out of the kitchen, and Uta nods.

 

“This’ll only take me a few hours. I’ll have it delivered in time.” He tells her as he stands up with the dress in hand.

 

Three days later, he is sent a video by Renji, containing an excited Ichika showing off her new red and white dress, twirling around with a small backpack on her back in the living room. He stifles a chuckle and shakes his head.

 

“Too cute.” He says, and leans back in his seat, wondering what he should make her for next year. He grabs his pencil and a blank piece of paper and starts sketching. He is filled with inspiration, and he wonders if Ichika might have become a muse to him. The sentiment is nice, isn’t it? He can make her a skirt, or a pair shoes, though Touka will probably think they’re over the top because what kind of seven-year olds runs around in handmade leather boots? Perhaps a scarf will be better? Or perhaps he can make her a pretty hair ornament?

 

He has so many ideas to choose from already, how many will he have by the time he has to choose something? It’ll be too much, he decides, and starts listing the ideas up. All the ideas that came to him now, he can use later the older she grows.

 

The next year, right before Ichika begins second grade, Uta comes over with a small present. Ichika tears the wrapping paper off the present and squeals in glee, holding up the contents. A pretty, teal coloured silk scarf with embroidery in a darker shade of green is what Ichika shows her mother.

 

“Look, look! Uta-chan made me a pretty scarf!” She exclaims, and Touka smiles, patting her head.

 

“Yes, it is very pretty. Did you thank Uta-san properly?” The expression on the girl’s face when she realizes she has yet to thank the tattooed ghoul is priceless. She spins on her heels and runs back up to the male ghoul, bending her knees and jumping. She is already quite agile, like her mother, and actually surprises Uta with the precision of how she so easily manage to jump just high enough to wrap her arms around his neck.

 

“Thank you, Uta-chan!” He catches her so she won’t hang awkwardly around his neck and pats her head when she pulls back.

 

“You’re very welcome, Ichika-chan.” When she runs off to see herself in the mirror while trying on the scarf, Uta notices a lone picture hanging on a barren wall. He walks over and inspects it, seeing Kaneki, Touka and Ichika in it, in front of what he assumes is the school building. Ichika is wearing the dress he made her for her first day of school a whole year ago.

 

“We’re going to hang a picture of every first day Ichika has.” Touka says from behind him.

 

“So, you’re using the wall as a photo album?” He asks and she nods.

 

“It was Kaneki’s idea. We live in a time where we can, after all.” She sounds wistful, and Uta wonders if she wishes she could have had the same experience. For someone who lived amongst the humans, acting like one and living a normal life for many years of her life, something like this must be like a dream. For Uta, well, it’s not all that different, except that there are no longer any fights he can watch from the side-lines or influence, no more goading on the investigators of the CCG and no more slipping them information here and there, no more business for the Pierrot, and less business for his mask making.

 

There is less tragedy.

 

But he has other talents within art, and he still experiences the occasional battles with Renji, and Itori is still around with her bar should he want a drink and someone to talk to, so all in all, he isn’t too broken up about it.

 

And he feels like he finally has his feet planted on solid ground too.

 

“So, a new picture will appear in a few days?” He asks and she nods.

 

“She’ll most likely be wearing the scarf you made for her. Her dress got quite the attention last year, you know? Parents asked where I had bought it.”

 

“And what did you tell them?”

 

“That there is no place I could have bought something like that.”

 

“Did you just _compliment_ me?” He asks incredulously and the female ghoul rolls her eyes and punches his arm.

 

“Get over yourself. You’re good at what you do and you know it.” He knows he’s good, but it took years of practice.

 

“Then they asked if I made it-“ Uta can’t quite hold back the snort and feels his arm throb as another punch hits him.

 

“And I told them a friend of ours did it. That’s all.”

 

“Hm.” He hums before turning and gathering his jacket.

 

“Are you leaving already, Uta-chan?” Ichika suddenly appears, pretty green scarf wrapped around her neck. He crouches down and smiles at her, tugging on the scarf carefully.

 

“Mhm, I have other chores to do today too. But I’ll come by later, okay?”

 

“Okay!” Ichika says and waves as he exits the room and house.

 

“You’ve gotten pretty attached to Uta-san, haven’t you?” Touka asks her daughter as she brews some coffee. Kaneki should be right around the corner now, home from whatever meeting he has with the TSC. Touka knows she should probably start with dinner soon too.

 

“Yes!”

 

“Is it because he makes you pretty things?” Her mother teases the girl, who looks straight into her mother’s eyes with the most serious expression on her face.

 

“Itori-chan says that men only make pretty things for people they love.” Well, Touka will admit that Uta making pretty things to Ichika is because she likes pretty things and he enjoys making her smile. Touka herself, on the other hand, is used to Uta creating more _unique_ designs. It is fun watching him dote on Ichika though.

 

“Which means I’ll marry Uta-chan when I grow up!” Touka blinks, wide-eyed, just as the door slams shut and she can hear Kaneki in the hall.

 

“ _You will not!”_ It is incredible how high pitched his voice can become.

 

As Uta heads down the stairs to the subway, he sneezes, and blinks.

 

The third year, he makes her pretty sandals to wear inside, and a few days later, he is at Renji’s home, drinking coffee with the manager and her uncle.

 

“The other parents keep asking about the things you make for Ichika.”

 

“Hm? And why is that?” He asks.

 

“They want to know if you’re open for commissions.” He considers it. It’s not like he’s opposed to it, and it can be a nice turn-around from what he used to do. He quite enjoys making clothes and accessories to Ichika, things he feels fit her and her personality. It is almost like his mask making back in the day.

 

“If they’re willing to come all the way to the fourth ward, I’ll make them something.” He tells Touka, who huffs.

 

“That means I have to show them the way, doesn’t it?”

 

“It’s good of you to socialize.” Renji tells her quietly and she rolls her eyes at him.

 

“Really, Yomo-san, you’re the last person in the world who can say that to me.” But she doesn’t argue with it, and sometime later, Touka enters his shop with a few human mothers and their children. While the adults seem a bit unsure about the décor, which have changed a bit, he has hung up paintings he has done which aren’t half as terrifying as most of his masks where, the children seem curious, and run around before their mothers can stop them.

 

“Uta-san.” Touka calls out and he pushes his swivel chair so he can roll out into sight from behind the room-divider. The women look startled at the sight of him, and he feels amused.

 

“Hello, Touka-san. Have you brought friends today?” He knows what they’re here for, why else would Touka bring humans with children Ichika’s age here, but for courtesy’s sake, he asks.

 

“They’re here to ask about the clothes and accessories you made for Ichika.”

 

“Oh? Might these be the ones wanting similar for their own children?” Touka gives him a look that tells him she knows he knows why they’re there, but says nothing, only nods, and moves aside so he can get a good look at them. He stands, and offers them a polite bow. They hesitantly return it.

 

“I am Uta. It has come to my understanding that I might be of some use for you?”

 

He receives an angry phonecall from Ichika a couple of months later, when he has finished the orders the humans had requested, where she angrily demands to know why he had created something for someone else than her. He finds being berated and yelled by an eight-year-old actually a little bit frightening.

 

Or perhaps it is just because the one yelling at him is Ichika, and he cares for her.

 

“Forgive me, Ichika-chan, but it is my trade to make things and sell them. But you’re the only one I give gifts to.” There is a pause on the other side before she mutters quietly that she’ll forgive him, if he makes something really pretty for her when she starts high school.

 

“Ichika-chan, that’s eight more years.” He tries not to laugh.

 

“Then you better use your time wisely.” She says before hanging up and he blinks, staring at the flashing screen of his phone. Did she just… kind of threaten him?

 

_‘How interesting.’_

 

So he start scribbling down notes and sketches ideas of what he thinks would look good on her when she starts high school. It all will depend a bit on her uniform, as well. Will she be wearing a cute sailor uniform, a sophisticated blazer uniform with a pleaded skirt or perhaps a suspender skirt uniform? He has so many ideas, and again he is struck by inspiration, as he was two years ago when he started this tradition.

 

Ichika’s right. He better use his time wisely.

 

When the day comes, Uta’s already witnessed several more pictures decorating the wall, and Ichika is growing up to look a lot like her mother. Uta remembers Touka in high school. Ichika has her mother’s looks, and her father’s temperament. For the sake of her classmates, Uta’s glad.

 

When Uta calls to tell Touka he’s ready to bring the gift over, she tells him to come with them to the school on Ichika’s first day, surprise the girl there, and he agrees. It is always much more fun when he can surprise people.

 

He gets a text from Ichika the night before, asking where he is, and his new creation. He tells her he’ll bring it to her in time but says no more on it. She texts him again, says that if he doesn’t come now, then he’ll be too late. He knows she’ll be annoyed with him, but he tells her that he has other commissions to work on (a big fat lie) and that he still has until eight the next morning. No more texts come after that, and he knows he’s in serious trouble. Until she sees what he’s made for her.

 

So the next morning he shows up in front of the school a few minutes before the rest of them, a huge roll of paper under one arm and a small wooden box in his other hand.

 

“Uta-chan!” He looks up and sees Ichika jog over, Renji, Kaneki, Touka and Hideyoshi right behind her.

 

“You made it!”

 

“Of course.” He smiles, holding out the box for her to take. She looks at it, eyes him suspiciously before she opens it and stares. It’s a beautiful hairpin and comb, fashioned to look like it is really old, yet retaining its vibrant red and gold colours.

 

“Uta-chan…”

 

“Do you like it?” He can see that she likes it, she looks awestruck, but her eyes are shining and a smile is slowly forming on her face.

 

“Yes! Do my hair!” She turns around and lets him comb through her hair as the others finally reach them.

 

“Good morning, Uta-san.” Kaneki greets and the tattooed ghoul nods as he pulls Ichika’s slightly long hair up, twists it and fastens it with the pin and wiggle the comb into it.

 

“Line up!” Touka says and when Uta starts to back away fists her hand into his leather jacket and yanks him back into the group as Kaneki carefully releases his kagune and uses it to angle the camera.

 

“Are we all in?”

 

“Probably. Take the picture.” Touka demands, hand still firmly fisted in Uta’s jacket just to make sure he won’t try and escape. Once they are all satisfied with the results she lets go of him, and points at the large roll of paper he’s carrying.

 

“What’s that?”

 

“This? Well, I always make Ichika-chan something pretty, I thought about embarrassing her a little too.”

 

“Excuse me, what?” Ichika demands as Uta gestures for Renji to grab a hold of the end as he rolls it out.

 

 _Congratulations on your entrance exams, and good luck in High School, Ichika-chan!_  Is written in big, bold letters and Ichika pales.

 

“No…”

 

“Yes!” Touka laughs as the girl high tails it away from them and through the gates, but it is too late. A lot of students have stopped to look at the spectacle that is the Kaneki family outside the gates and are pointing at the poster Uta and Renji is holding up high in the air.

 

“Good luck, Ichika-chan!” Uta calls out and she throws a half-hearted glare over her shoulder. He imagines it would have been a rather severe and bone-chilling scowl if it wasn’t for the comb and hair pin he had made her.

 

“So, Uta-san, would you like to come over for a cup of coffee?” Kaneki asks and the artist lowers the poster and rolls it together.

 

“I’d like that, Kaneki-kun.”

 

Uta found his way onto their photo-album wall that year, and the next, and the next year after that. He is even on the photo at her graduation from college, and that one he asks for a copy for. He hangs it above his work-desk. It is a reminder.

 

That sewing a dress for Ichika started a new business for him, which is very much the same as the one he had before, except he is no longer creating masks to hide peoples identities.

 

And this new business is much more enjoyable, he thinks, as a family walks through his door.

 

“Hello, how can I help you?”

 


End file.
